Just a Normal Naru
by caitybug13
Summary: When Mai starts her second year of high school she doesn't expect to make friends with the cold narcissistic new kid and his kinder look alike. But she soon finds herself very much involved with the two and their strange hobbies. Will the friendships turn into something more? With which one? And why do the two want to check out the supposed ghost haunting the old school building?


Chapter 1 – Meeting

The alarm beeped insistently and, annoyed to say the least, Mai slammed her palm down on the top of her alarm clock and rolled out of bed. She sighed and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, taking a moment to let the morning sink in.

And then she smiled. Today was the first day of her second year of high school. Her smile broadened and she jumped out of bed.

…..

Mai was humming to herself when she walked into the school that morning. Ignoring the despondent and generally annoyed looks of her peers, she skipped happily down the hall. Nothing, she was determined, would ruin her day. She just couldn't believe she was starting her second year today. She couldn't wait to talk to her friends. She was so happy-

Mai slammed into something. Hard. Her books scattered across the floor, skidding farther away when hurrying students kicked them as they walked. "Ow…" Mai complained, rubbing the back of her head, which had smacked into the ground when she fell.

"You should really be more careful when you walk," a pleasant voice above her laughed. "Are you okay?"

Mai looked up, cheeks reddening. So, she'd run into a boy. A very attractive, very nice boy.

"I-I'm fine. I'm sorry I ran into you like that. I wasn't paying attention."

He shifted his black hair out of his face and smiled, bright blue eyes lighting up. "Yeah, you seemed to be in your own little world. And a pleasant one, it appeared."

Mai grimaced. "Sorry," she apologized again.

The boy smiled and offered his hand to her. She took it and smiled back at him, then moved to pat the dust from her clothing. She didn't trust the cleanliness of her school's floors.

The boy bent to help her pick up her books but Mai quickly stopped him. "You should get to class," she told him. "There's no use in both of us being late."

"Are you sure?"

Mai nodded. Again, the boy smiled, and then he waved. "Thanks then. I guess I'll see you around…"

"Mai," she supplied. "Call me Mai."

He was walking backwards down the now empty hall. "Okay. I'll see you around Mai. It was nice to meet you!" The last part he yelled as he turned around and hurried around a corner.

Mai smiled to herself. Whoever that boy was, he was really nice. And so handsome, with his dark hair and piercing blue eyes. With a start, she realized she hadn't even asked his name. She would have to do that the next time she saw him.

…..

Mai sighed in defeat and prepared to go into her classroom. But, she thought to herself, she had told herself early this morning that nothing was going to ruin her day. Still trying to hold to that resolution, Mai perked up. So what if she was late?

When she stepped through the doorway and into her classroom (2b) the teacher stopped talking to look at her. "Ah!" The teacher smiled, but in a somehow condescending way, "You must be Taniyama-chan."

Mai grimaced and bowed low. "Sorry sensei. I hope my lateness won't disturb your class."

Her sensei looked her over a minute, contemplating, and then nodded in approval. The tension left Mai's shoulder's a bit at knowing her sensei wasn't too mad at her. "Take a seat," he said. "You sit between Keiko Hamori and Kazuya Shibuya."

Mai nodded and then smiled to herself as she made her way to her seat. So, she shared a class with Keiko this year? Keiko was her good friend. Last year, they and another friend had formed a club together, where they stayed after school and told ghost stories. It had been fun, until one of Mai's made up stories became all too real.

Towards the end of the year last school term, Mai had come up with a story about the old school building. She was good at coming up with ghost stories, and this particular tale was scary to say the least. But, when there was reported to be an actual ghost in the old school building only two weeks later, Mai's ghost story telling club broke up.

While Mai and Keiko remained friends, the club stopped meeting. The entire school was terrified of the old school building, and the Ghost Club was especially. Why had Mai's story actually come true?

The school had hired a couple of people to investigate, but nothing ever came from it, until the building simply collapsed entirely. Now no one goes in that area, and, though there was no more instances of people getting hurt, the rumors about it being haunted continued.

Mai hoped that maybe, now that everything was over and a new year had begun, Keiko and her could restart their club.

Smiling, Mai waved to her friend and took a seat beside her. Keiko smiled as well and then went back to her notes.

Taking a second to look around at her new classroom, Mai turned to her left and was surprised to see the same dark haired, blue eyed boy from earlier. As if summoned by her gaze, the boy (Shibuya, the teacher had called him) turned to look at her. A little confused, but not too worried, about his cold stare, Mai smiled in his direction and waved in a familiar fashion.

But Shibuya only stared at her, raising his eyebrows condescendingly and looking her over as if she were something strange and vaguely interesting. And then, without responding to her wave, or even smiling back, he turned back to the front of the room.

Mai frowned. What was up with him? He had been perfectly nice to her, more than nice, just a few minutes ago. Now he was ignoring her a treating her like trash.

Maybe he is shy, she thought. But the explanation didn't fit. Either way, she figured she should give Shibuya the benefit of the doubt. She would try to talk to him again at lunch.


End file.
